Romney Says He’s ‘Not Concerned About the Very Poor,’ Stuns No One

Mitt Romney, most undeserving and unexcited winner of the Florida primary since at least 2004, was utterly bored out of his skull during his victory speech in Florida Tuesday, though he at least kept up the practice of being EVIL, my friend, and took the Evil Show to a post-results chat with CNN’s Soledad O’Brien. There, he proceeded to terrify Soledad and the four other people watching CNN by saying how he really feels: “I’m not concerned about the very poor.” This is the real, true, unabashed, unequivocal, undeniable “I like being able to fire people” moment we have all been waiting for (yet have also gotten several other times!!!!) After making it difficult for Soledad O’Brien to know what to say/not kill herself, Romney tried to soften the blow with more terrible rich-man mumbo jumbo, and had some bossy, condescending words for Soledad, too, because she is a womanliberal woman liberal.

The evil goes well beyond the first few lines, but, well, here those are:

I’m in this race because I care about Americans. I’m not concerned about the very poor, we have a safety net there, if it needs repair I’ll fix it.

But Mittbott, who is your tax plan best for again? And how do Republicans like Romney really feel about “safety nets,” once they actually — God forbid (God, are you listening? FORBID IT) — get in office?

And er…so the “very poor” aren’t Americans? Romney goes on to say,

I’m concerned about the very heart of America, the 90 to 95 percent of Americans who are struggling, and I’ll continue to take that message across the nation.

HEY I FOUND THIS MESSAGE ON THE STREET, it’s kind of crumpled and wet and looks like it’s been used by A LOT of other Republican candidates unsuccessfully this year and every four to eight years since the beginning of time, but it’s mine now, effective immediately.

The numbers, when you really look at them, make this sound just diabolical. But then we’ve come to expect this. Romney’s talking about 46.2 million people — the number of people living below the poverty line in 2010 — who apparently have this lovely net that somehow hopefully allegedly magically prevents them from DYING but also probably keeps them squarely under the poverty line FOREVER. Of course, Romney and most of these other guys would prefer that safety net wasn’t there at all, so people could somehow just figure out how to survive on their own (incentive!), even though 90 to 95 percent of the country, along with that 6.7 percent, is also trying to figure out how to survive. Oh, is this trickle-down economics? Or is this just 312 million Americans (minus 3.12 million Americans) all living, striving, barely surviving together, as if inside one modest-sized Tyson chicken coop?

Anyway, apparently we’ve got a new slogan, thanks to this inspiring, breath-of-fresh-air revolutionary of a public figure. WE ARE THE 90 TO 95 PERCENT, SOMEWHERE IN THERE, YEAH. WHATEVER, THE POOR, DO YOUR THING, NICE NET. [The Atlantic Wire]

To Mitt, the very poor are the people who actually have to have jobs or be looking for one.

Boojum_Reborn

To Mitt, today, we are all very poor.

tessiee

Slightly OT but true story:
When I was in my early twenties and moved out of my parents' house, I was talking with my boyfriend at the time, and a friend of his (who, although I didn't know it, came from a family with a LOT of money) about my difficulty in finding an apartment.
Rich Kid: Why don't you just give the landlord several thousand dollars?
Me: Because I don't HAVE several thousand dollars! I don't have several HUNDRED dollars!
Rich Kid [shocked]: Oh! You're POOR!
Me [surprised but unoffended]: Well… Yeah, I guess by that standard, I am poor.
Rich Kid [contrite]: I'm sorry! I didn't know! I've never actually MET a poor person before… [musing] well, except servants, of course.

GOPCrusher

Yeah. Its amazing how people that have money just assume that everyone else does too.
Assholes.

Chichikovovich

I've heard stories like that from Chichikovna, but multiplied to the n'th power. She comes from a family that has, to me, unimaginable wealth. (Which has led to many wacky, zany sitcom-calibre highjinks and misunderstandings in our laugh-a-minute sitcom marriage, of course. Y'know, like the Beverly Hillbillies, except Jed wears a parka and is married to Mr. Drysdale. And speaks with a backwoods accent in two languages. And doesn't have any money.)

She went to an elite private school, where she met many kids of the 1% of the 1% of the 1%. Families that owned several cruise ships and luxury hotel type rich. And she had many conversations with them that were almost identical to your conversation with Rich Kid, just up a few levels. [Chichikovna: "Ok I'll join the group on the trip through Europe in July, but we'll need to avoid the really expensive restaurants and luxury hotels" Rich Kid2: Oh! You're POOR!…"

She has a lot of stories like that. I think of them whenever I want to imagine what Mitt Romney is like.

http://loljazzcatz.blogspot.com/ Chet Kincaid

What's it like being a Kept Man?

Chichikovovich

I'm not going to lie to you Chet, there's an upside. I don't anticipate any of the sort of events that end with Chichikovna saying "Alright Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my closeup" for at least 5 more years.

(Je plaisante, bien sûr. We've been married almost 25 years, and really more in love now than when we met.)

Well, must get off to teach the young minds about Cantor's diagonal argument. à bientôt, tout le monde!

(Exit left to the strains of "I'm just a gigalo…")

real_dc_native

You should have just run him over with your limo… oh never mind.

Slim_Pickins

To Mitt the very poor are the 99.9975%

snackypants

Which just rounds up to 100%.

GeorgiaBurning

Of course he 's concerned about the people who are struggling. Luckily he got a good deal on home security systems and some Dobermans.

And a fine safety net it is! Manufactured in China by NetCo, a unit of Bain Capital.

http://www.vinoverve.com Maman

Isn't that the net company that FoxCon uses to keep its employees from committing suicide?

real_dc_native

win

Bonghits4Jesus

Actually Bain Capital is now a unit of China Inc.

Negropolis

Needz moar melamine.

Serolf_Divad

Mitt's not concerned about the very poor… he's concerned about people who are actually struggling, dammit! Wondering where your next meal or rent payment is going to come from is nothing compared to wondering how in the world you're going to be able to simultaneously send your kids off to private school AND trade in the 2008 Infinity on a newer model with lower mileage.

nounverb911

Like the 109 investment bankers just laid off by Credit Suisse.

SorosBot

And what about the struggling investor who faces the horrible decision of whether to sell the vacation home in Aspen or the one in Pam Springs?

Blueb4sunrise

heh
Yes, I'm turning into a typo troll, but they're usually very cool typos.

SorosBot

D'oh!

Biff

Will no one think of the e-trade baby?

http://www.udargo.com MaxUdargo

Mitt is not concerned about the man who just got hit by a bus, because there are ambulances and paramedics to take care of him. He's more concerned about people with gout.

Mitt is not concerned about the house that is on fire, because there are firemen to take care of that. He's more concerned about residential mold problems.

Mitt is not concerned about the drowning child, because there are lifeguards to take care of that. He's more concerned about sunburn.

Everybody. Sing with me.

Z Crudmonger

Mitt is not concerned about the junkies because there are needle exchange programs. He's concerned about those on methadone.

Am I doing it right?

sarah_connor

Mitt is not concerned about the poets because there are MacArthur genius grants. He’s concerned about… oh f*** it I give up.

http://www.southsidejohnny.com/ Jukesgrrl

I think he's more worried about House Speakers with Scotch addictions.

tessiee

"Everybody. Sing with me."

All we are saying… is give Mitt a chance…

http://whatisawatthedevolution.blogspot.com imissopus

Plus he can posthumously baptize that child as a Mormon and it will spend eternity ruling its own planet. Problem solved!

sarah_connor

Mittens is not concerned about poets because we have MacArthur genius grants. Mittens is concerned about… oh f*** it I give up.

http://loljazzcatz.blogspot.com/ Chet Kincaid

Jesus, is that You?? Why didn't you tell us You were coming?! (Nice Sermon on the Mitt, also.)

greypanter

If the next step up from "very poor" is "struggling", no wonder the very poor stay very poor. The obvious solution is to have the very poor go right to the top 1%. Isn't that what Mittens says Obama wants to do with his tax policy? Problem solved!

real_dc_native

Oh if only that was true.

jus_wonderin

Safety Net? Is that something the Conservatives want to remove? And why do I feel like I am at a circus but every highwire performer is screaming?

"I'm not concerned about the very poor because they don't have any more money that me and my friends can steal from them."

Ruhe

"I'm not concerned about the very poor because…when I try pandering to their fears and prejudices I feel sort of dirty all over."

lulzmonger

"I'm not concerned about the very poor because we've made it so a lot of them can't vote any more anyway."

"I'm not concerned about the very poor because my fellow whores in the media have convinced most of them that they'll be just like me as soon as they win the lottery."

"I'm not concerned about the very poor because they're kind of scary, & besides, I refuse to sully my precious mind with the thought of their plight."

Goonemeritus

By very poor he meant Newt.

tessiee

Well, it's a fair assumption that Newt is a very poor lover.

fartknocker

I'll bet you $10,000 that I really do care. Pay up bitches.

Generation[redacted]

With all the "voter fraud prevention laws" passed across the nation, I am truly, truly, seriously not concerned about the poor and disenfranchised.

Geminisunmars

"The poor are already used to poverty. I'm concerned about the middle class who don't know how to be poors."

Blueb4sunrise

we iz larnin.

elviouslyqueer

"You are too old to be poor. You don't know how."

/Geraldine Fitzgerald as Martha Bach in Arthur

tessiee

"I'm concerned about the middle class who don't know how to be poors."

Hammer, meet nailhead.
Also, I haz a sad now.

Negropolis

Honestly, this is the thread. This is exactly what he said, whether he intended it that way or not.

FakaktaSouth

Duh. Mitt knows VALUE is not in "people" or "work" – it is in MONEY you dumb fucks.

chicken_thief

Money is people, too, my friend.

Ruhe

Yeah, he learned that from his daddy. No…wait…I'm thinking of Lex Luthor.

SorosBot

"In proportion as the bourgeoisie, i.e., capital, is developed, in the same proportion is the proletariat, the modern working class, developed — a class of labourers, who live only so long as they find work, and who find work only so long as their labour increases capital. These labourers, who must sell themselves piecemeal, are a commodity, like every other article of commerce, and are consequently exposed to all the vicissitudes of competition, to all the fluctuations of the market. "

I think Marx was right.

prommie

Well, you have to admit that he generalizes a bit too much from the specifics of French society and the dynamics underlying the recent series of revolutions in France (the Revolution, Louis Napolean, the Communards).

FakaktaSouth

Jeeepers thems some biiiiig words. I've been meaning to tell you – Newt's man Sheldon Adelson owns the Venetian where Bouchon is right, so, when we went to LV and didn't get reservations I was all "well, fine, I'll act like I'm standing on my principles (whatever those are)" OF COURSE we go back in June and are staying in the mother fucking Venetian. So THEN I'll DEFINITELY go. Honestly, it looked fantastic.

HistoriCat

Marx was a sunny optimist. What do you get when the oppressors are overthrown? A new set of oppressors.

The Who had it right – "here's to the new boss, same as the old boss."

YOU LIE! Man I was raised on Quadrophenia. My dad had the speakers set up in our house just for the sound effects of sitting in the middle of the room. I LOVE The Who.

http://loljazzcatz.blogspot.com/ Chet Kincaid

Hey, I was the only black teenager on the South Side of Chicago who identified with the travails of a hapless Mod Kid of the mid-60s!

The new mixes sound really great. There are several versions of the box, I got the one that has the entire album remixed on 2 CDs, a Dolby 5.1 Audio DVD with the quadrophonic mix of selected songs (unfortunately, I don't have the equipment for it), and a CD with all of Pete's demos for the album.

FakaktaSouth

Yeah, talk to your girl here, the wanna be- hippy chick in the 80s (I saw the Who in Atlanta 1988) living in Birmingham, Alafuckingbama. Like I say, my dad had everything on vinyl and I loved it then – all this remixing is so over my head, but I do appreciate the sound, to be sure. Pete is a genius.

http://loljazzcatz.blogspot.com/ Chet Kincaid

His melodic and harmonic sensibility trips my trigger, and since about 1979, the action has really been on his solo albums, several of which are the equal of the best Who: "Empty Glass" and "All The Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes", for instance.

FakaktaSouth

We had Empty Glass. With all due respect to Sir Daltrey's voice, John Entwistle's bass and writings, and Keith Moon in general one of my favorite people who has ever lived – Pete Townsend is the Who so of course his solo work is on par. He is such a composer, equal to Beethoven in my not so humble opinion, and I am a sucker for any man with a way with words (obvs in my love for you).

http://loljazzcatz.blogspot.com/ Chet Kincaid

Pete's "Scoops" album series, and the Quad demos, are really amazing in that they show that the Who songs were already 75% figured out before the other guys touched them.

FakaktaSouth

I'm gonna have to check this out. My dad has been on a weird Gram Parsons kick lately, maybe I can get him to listen to some of this for a change of pace. On to the google!

tessiee

"These labourers, who must sell themselves piecemeal, are a commodity, like every other article of commerce, and are consequently exposed to all the vicissitudes of competition, to all the fluctuations of the market. "

Hammer, meet nailhead.
Also, I haz a…
Aw, shit.

real_dc_native

Yes, Marx understood Capitalism better than any of the fancy "Chicago School" economists that all the powerful people listen to. Too bad reading Marx in college is so last century. But I'm a Communist thug by today's standards.

BaldarTFlagass

"I’m not concerned about the very poor, "

Drudge Siren!

http://ifthethunderdontgetya.blogspot.com/ ifthethunderdontgetya

And that's the difference between Republicans and Democrats, people.

Democrats don't say these things.
~

Generation[redacted]

That's just professional politics 101. Even Reagan never said an ill word about the poors, only those darn welfare cheats in their gold Cadillacs taking your hard earned moneys to buy crack.

Biff

And cohabitating with those young bucks, etc.

Chichikovovich

I imagine that in Weasel School the instructor didn't bother to mention the fundamental principle: Never say "F*ck the poor with a toilet plunger." or any variation thereof. Bad optics, even if you invest it with all the sincerity you feel. Instead say "There are, of course many abuses of the welfare system. Hard working taxpayers who have always played by the rules are rightfully angry about that, and we're going to stomp those abuses out." And Then Say: But like all Americans, I want to make sure that we extend a helping hand to those who are deserving – who have worked hard and played by the rules but were struck by misfortunes that could happen to anyone. People who hope for a hand up, not people who demand a hand out. Because Americans are the most charitable and giving people in the world."

But then, why should an instructor talking to a professional politician mention something so obvious? None of my coaches ever told me "After you catch the puck cleanly and have control of it, don't turn around and toss it into your own net."

tessiee

"But then, why should an instructor talking to a professional politician mention something so obvious?"

Aren't you forgetting some very important facts about the intelligence level of certain so-called human beings?

tessiee

Shorter: Mitt's too goddamn dumb and out of touch with reality to even bother with dog whistles.

James Michael Curley

Just found my old album of Papa John Creach's "The Janitor Drives a Cadillac" Grace Slick on backup vocal; "Biggest tub of steel General Motors made". Recorded 13 years before Raygun's statements.

tessiee

*plays air fiddle*

James Michael Curley

Just down play ‘air fiddle’ to String Jet Rock. You could hurt yourself.

Z Crudmonger

Oh, they do, in the quiet rooms. Keep up Mittbot.

veritass

He's running for office, for Pete's sake!

GuanoFaucet

Mittens doesn't hate the very poor. He just feels better when they're not around.

Fare la Volpe

$10,000 says this guy doesn't even talk to his maid.

HistoriCat

Or at least not in the second person. "The maid will clean the bathroom now." Probably only while speaking over his shoulder.

ItsMrTheOwl2You

More than likely "Maid Number 1 will clean bathroom number 5 now."

ItsMrTheOwl2You

"I don't have anything against the very poor. I love the very poor! Some of my best friends are very poor."

GlowneyHouse

"Hey Mitt, Nobody suffers like the poor".–Henry Chinaski

http://www.southsidejohnny.com/ Jukesgrrl

Which is, no doubt, why he lives in La Jolla.

WhatTheHeck

Now lemme see. Mitt’s Super Pac mainly supported by friends in the financial sector to the tune of millions.

Mitt. By your friend they shall know you. And we do.

RedneckMuslin

Financial sectors are my friends too, people.

http://www.storycorner.us/ JustPixelz

When the Go-Pee'ers talk about flat or flatter tax, it's so the rich can pay less while lower income people pay more. Since lower income people often pay no Federal income tax (they still pay social security, etc), the percentage increase for them is

(newTax – oldTax) / oldTax

When oldTax is zero, the answer is infinity, making it the largest tax increase in the history of the universe. Your move Grover.

DaRooster

This guy really needs Perry back… so someone else can say something stupid and completely uncaring for a change… well besides nEWt.

MissTaken

So in addition to having refrigerators and heating you're telling me the poors also have nets? Gawd, what do they have to complain about then?

Tundra Grifter

MT:

Not a safety net as much as a very sticky spider's web from which they can not escape.

SorosBot

So the poor are walking into spiderwebs? Likely story; so leave a message and I'll call you back.

Tundra Grifter

Not walking – falling into the horrible, dehumanizing bottomless pit of poverty.

It's tough to pull yourself up by the bootstraps if you don't own a pair of boots.

PS: That Heritage Foundation crap about the poors "have" refrigerators and stoves and microwaves so they aren't so poor after all? That's because they rent hovels in which to live, and the law requires the landlord to provide them. Not the so-called study says "have" not "own." The tv sets, etc. are probably wildly overpriced purchased on rent-to-rent forever payment plans.

reliefsinn

That's right, and when they default on a $600.00 refrigerator or tv that will cost them $1200.00 after they make 62,000 payments, their credit is screwed even more, and they are really in trouble.
Of course, the worst "trouble" these people go through is not being able to purchase cigs, lottery tickets, and beer for a while, but don't laugh until you've been there. (Look out for snark in the last sentence).

Tundra Grifter

reliefsinn:

Many of the high-cost credit providers make a point of not sending the data to the credit reporting agencies. This locks poor folks into the cycle.

Back in the day FICO scores went down if someone borrowered from a consumer finance company – even if all payments were as agreed. The assumption was if they had good credit they could borrow elsewhere (when their neighborhood may not have even had a bank or credit union, of course).

When that became known Fair-Issac changed the system – but it's a good example of how poor folks keep getting screwed.

Have you ever read George Orwell's "Down and Out in Paris and London?" I think it deserves just as much fame as "1984" and "Animal Farm."

I would have him drawn and quartered and then thrown into the Thames, but I have environmental concerns.

MosesInvests

Silly English (ex) k'nigget!

Nostrildamus

knighthoods manhoods

AutomaticPilot

Or white hoods.

http://www.southsidejohnny.com/ Jukesgrrl

In even more embarrassing news, RBS has ended its long-running sponsorship of the British Open golf tournament. Oh, the humanity!

SorosBot

Romney should be concerned about the very poor; specifically he should be concerned that they might get fed up and give the very rich like him who are responsible for their poverty what's coming to them.

Generation[redacted]

"This is class warfare!" –Marie Antoinette

widestanceshakedown

Did she get to finish that quote?

James Michael Curley

Didn't finish the cake either.

http://www.southsidejohnny.com/ Jukesgrrl

You mean the gates on their communities might NOT keep the poors out?

Generation[redacted]

Don't worry. The poors have the principle of self-reliance and the efficiency of the free market.

SpiderCrab

Polygamy for the 1%, war with Iran for the rest of us. Problem solved.

elviouslyqueer

Moar workhouses! Moar prisons! DUH.

http://loljazzcatz.blogspot.com/ Chet Kincaid

He's like Don Draper without the wit, talent, sex appeal, Lucky Strikes or Old Fashioneds.

http://www.southsidejohnny.com/ Jukesgrrl

Or a hot secretary. (Hard to have desk-sex with magic underpants.)

EatsBabyDingos

"The poor have their unicorn tenderloins and fried bootstraps to go with their welfare queen size beds. Let them eat yellowcake and be happy that they don't have to worry about job creating."

chicken_thief

And then he broke into a screeching rendition of "If I Were a Rich Man".

ItsMrTheOwl2You

With the Osmond Brothers as backup.

http://whatisawatthedevolution.blogspot.com imissopus

Eh, too Jewish.

http://www.southsidejohnny.com/ Jukesgrrl

But it's OK, 'cause now they're baptized.

Ruhe

That study on the correlation between conservatism and abject dumbness that we were all wagging about last week…did that thing say anything about the ability of said dumb conservatives to simultaneously hold onto mutually exclusive world views? Presumably Christians, and even "new world" Christians like Mitt, have read the Bible. Did they not notice that when Cain asked God if he was his brother's keeper God's answer was pretty clearly "Yes, you dumb ass, you are."

chascates

They would counter it also states 'the poor shall be with you always' or some such. So you can't help people get out of poverty but you can give a tax-deductible contribution to a charity that doles out stew and cornbread.

SorosBot

And when people complained to Jesus about the Romans' taxes, didn't he tall them to go ahead and render them already and stop whining?

Dashboard Buddha

Not at all. He counseled to them to place their money in off-shore accounts on Malta and Cyprus. Free market Jesus FTW!

http://loljazzcatz.blogspot.com/ Chet Kincaid

"And when thou prayest, do it in the middle of the Coliseum or standing upon the Ark Of The Covenant, for Man and God to see!"

Geminisunmars

I doubt very much if Herman ever asked God that question.

Fare la Volpe

The passage wherein Christ kicks the moneylenders out of the temple is oft misunderstood. He was kicking them out of the temple so they could find subprime real estate down in the slums, where their customer base would grow and flourish. For Freedom.

tessiee

What Bible are YOU reading, that namby-pamby libtard one? The Republican bible says no abortions or birth control, because women are dirty, dirty whores who need to be punished for fucking; and no homos, because they make us all nervous Down There — and that is ALL it says.

But they often own flush toilets, have electricity, and breath the same air as Donald Trump.

anniegetyerfun

They have no idea how good they have it.

Chichikovovich

Never mind the mouldering corpse of Zombie Reagan, if this keeps up the Republicans will be wishing they could nominate Zombie Warren G. Harding.

Back to Normalcy!

MozakiBlocks

This guy…I can't even…

chascates

Several weeks ago a working lady told Mitt she was worried about the economy, seemingly whether or not she'd continue to be employed. He replied he also was worried about his investments.

Dashboard Buddha

For reals??? That would be a great sound bite.

chascates

Finally figured out where I heard that although naturally I confused part of it!On Friday January 6th's Newshour Gwen Ifill interviewed a few NH voters, one had been at a rally where Mitt expressed sympathy when asked about his feelings for the struggle the middle class was having, and assured the audience that he also worried about his investments. The woman being interviewed burst out; ‘all our investments are gone. We don’t have any investments left.’
Memory via Firedoglake.

IceCreamEmpress

That lady is my new hero.

Biff

I am reminded of that one woman who spoke to dubya at that rally, saying she held down three jerbs to make ends meet, and he turned it around to being a "uniquely American" story. Fuck those guys. All of 'em.

PsycWench

Yep. Mitt is sounding like "men's rights advocates" on a feminist thread. All the comments boil down to "As long as my group has any problem at all, your multiple and sometimes serious problems are insignificant".

Z Crudmonger

And in the morning, when Romney slicks back his silvered mane,
He sees Sisyphus in the mirror just the same.

Money quote: "[Romney is] still inauthentic – but with, I think, an exception. Every time he opens his mouth on the subject of capitalism, he says what he sincerely believes, which happens to fit neatly with present-day Republican ideology: that rich people deserve every penny they have, and if people complain about anything rich people do, it's only because they're envious."

http://loljazzcatz.blogspot.com/ Chet Kincaid

Like I said before: Vito and Michael Corleone, the Great American Tragedy. Santorum is Fredo, also.

Lucidamente1

I would have thought Connie.

Chichikovovich

Santorum is Tartaglia.

tessiee

As with duhbya, who stuttered and fumbled and couldn't get a three-word sentence out, but who magically started speaking coherently when it was about war or "kicking asses", because that was the only sincere belief he had.

BaldarTFlagass

Well, at least he's not trying to hide his contempt.

Chichikovovich

That's what he looks like when he is trying to hide his contempt.You should see him when he's with the other 1% of the 1% of the 1% 'ers and no microphones are around.

BaldarTFlagass

"You are my base"

Wilcoxyz

Wow, that safety net sure sounds soft and comfy. Like at the bottom of a dumpster full of garbage and shit. And if Romney needs to send someone to hose it off, HE WILL.

Sheesko

Yep. And his idea of fixing that safety net for you is to replace the flat, dried-out dead rats with softer, fresher dead ones.

Lucidamente1

There's no "I" in "team," and you can't spell "Romney" without "money."

YasserArraFeck

(R) Money

HistoriCat

Oddly enough, you can spell "me" from both team and money.

http://www.wonkette.com Chillwillard

Mitt: I bet you $10,000 that you will not win in November.

http://simplyleftbehind.blogspot.com/ actor212

The poor are like the dog on a road trip, see…

YasserArraFeck

So, their only choices are to eat flies or get wind blown up their ass?

http://simplyleftbehind.blogspot.com/ actor212

But they're in a cage!

http://www.southsidejohnny.com/ Jukesgrrl

It's for their own good.

Chichikovovich

"We have a safety net there. If it needs repair I'll fix it,"

Just so long as the solution doesn't require raising taxes on anyone but the very poor requires nothing more than broadening the revenue base.

What the câlisse? How did Frank Luntz get the ability to edit my posts?

SayItWithWookies

Hey — take care of the rich and the poor will take care of themselves. I think Jesus said that. Anyway, that's what the poor are used to, so it's not a big deal.

http://simplyleftbehind.blogspot.com/ actor212

"Trickle down" is peehole too, my friend!

widestanceshakedown

The very poor can no longer afford to vote [for me], so why bother with them?

sezme

I'm not concerned about the very poor: I can't help but notice that they've been fattening themselves up nicely. I'm focussing on how the middle class can prepare the very poor in such way that they will be both tasty and nutritious.

CrunchyKnee

Why should he be? Many poors do not even vote and many of those who do vote, vote against their interests for Jesus, or whatever.

Puffperney

My thoughts exactly. Frustrating to the point where I am fatalistic about it too.

VinnyThePooh

Romney fails to see what spawns when the destitute have nothing to lose, including their lives – Al Qaeda.

Rosie_Scenario

"Poor people, are not people, my friends."

tessiee

Corporations, on the other hand…

thefrontpage

Here are some other comments recently made by Romney: "I hate people." "I don't care about kittens or puppies–I eat kittens and puppies for lunch." "I don't care about minorities." "I actually hate women." "I don't care about immigrants." "I think all Democrats should be deported." "I actually hate the United States." "I'm rich, and you're not." "Today, we celebrate…Independence Day!" "To be rich, or not to be rich." "These are the best of times, and the best of times, if you're rich, like me." "Let them eat Spam." —-From The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Hill, CQ-Roll Call, The National Journal, The Atlantic, The New Republic, The Chicago Tribune, The Boston Herald, The Miami Herald, The Los Angeles Times, National Geographic, Jugs, Screw, Playboy and Penthouse.

tessiee

"If elected, I will personally beat the shit out of both Jesus and Santa Claus." — pulledoutofmyass.com

Nothingisamiss

+1, but deserves more.

Slim_Pickins

Doesn't matter what Mitt says, he's found his magic pair of magic underwear, and he's not taking them off ever again!

Boojum_Reborn

Mitt learned to dog whistle! "Very poor" = black.

prommie

And "struggping middle class" = whites who have to support the blacks with their taxes, yes, you got it there.

freakishlywrong

Your move, Appalachia.

BarackMyWorld

Mitt told us he was a missionary in France, but neglected to mention it was the France of 1788.

freakishlywrong

By safety net, Mittens means "at least you've got a car to live in".

http://www.udargo.com MaxUdargo

I may have to quit my job and see what this poverty thing is all about. Apparently, it's the life of Riley.

jqheywood

Is that what became of young Riley? The horror…

Callyson

"I'm not concerned about the very poor…I'm not concerned about the very rich"
You see, the law in its majestic equality forbids both the poor and the rich from sleeping under a bridge…

MissTaken

Someone forgot to install the empathy program when they installed the latest MittBot 9000 software update. it's okay though, an emergency patch will be loaded shortly I'm sure.

SorosBot

Even a Terminator eventually understood why people cry (well, more like "Vy you cry"); maybe someday the Mittbot will understand to.

James Michael Curley

Then there is Michael Valentine Smith's realization as to why people laugh.

http://loljazzcatz.blogspot.com/ Chet Kincaid

Mitt is more of a Liquid Metal Terminator, because I swear to God he looked just like John Kerry when he was Governor!

vtxmcrider

MissTaken, they did not forget. They kept trying to load the empathy software and each time the MittBot did a core dump and shut down … fatal error.

prommie

Those "lucky duckies" have it great. I am talking about the poor here. I have it on good authority, I heard this from Will, Kraphammer, the rest of the bloviators, it was a big GOP meme a few years back, those lucky poors and how great they've got it.

orygoon

Jesus wept. But the angel Moroni blew his golden trumpet.

Tundra Grifter

orygoon:

There are at least two ways to read that.

BaldarTFlagass

Since I expect my government to help the poor, through the vehicle of my taxes, I shouldn't be concerned about them either. But with motherfuckers like you and your band of rabid greed hyenas gathering at the door, I guess I'd better be.

Eve8Apples

"Screw the poor. Let them eat cake."

Romney/Antoinette 2012

MadBrahms

Followed by: "Just look at those poors, abusing their foodstamps to buy cake."

Biff

Mitt: "Pardon me, do you have any Grey Poupon?"
Me: "Hey, y'all got sum musturd?"
In a nutshell.

My god, what an evil little bastard. Just when you think you've heard the lowest of the low, another Repuglican tops it.

OneDollarJuana

Look, the Republicans have been trying to destroy social safety nets since before they were legislated. The most recent "moral" justification they give is that the churches should be responsible for taking care of those who can't, not the government, who steals money from hard-working rich people to give to the undeserving poor. Even if you believe that it's truly the responsibility of charitable organizations to take care of the poor, you cannot ignore the fact that donations fall during hard times, just as the help is needed most.

How cynical can one get? We continue to be amazed at how low they can go.

tessiee

the Dead Kennedys had it right 30 some years ago:

"The sun beams down on a brand new day
No more welfare tax to pay
Unsightly slums gone up in flashing light
Jobless millions whisked away
At last we have more room to play
All systems go to kill the poor tonight"

MadBrahms

Mittens should take a Holiday in Cambodia and never return.

Dashboard Buddha

I hope I'm wrong, but I don't think this comment is going to get much traction. Walking through the world of bloody bullnecked me-monkeys as I do, I get the impression that a. even they may be poor, most people think they're not, and b. most people don't give a fuck about the poor anyway.

CapnFatback

Exactly. Where some may hear a speaking gaffe, I hear Romney whispering sweet nothings to his base.

http://www.southsidejohnny.com/ Jukesgrrl

Not according to Rushbo. He didn't like the comment because he doesn't think there should BE a safety net. Now THAT's a sadist.

Wonderthing

"I enjoy poor people. They round off a meal right nice. And most of them are spineless, so really, fewer bones to spit out."
–Romney (in his mind)

DangerHelvetica

The less fortunate get all the breaks!

BaldarTFlagass

Ya know what? I am envious of the rich. Fuck you rich bastards!

Sassomatic

Well its not as if the "very poor" get to vote. Oh they do? WTF. We should fix that. By drug testing voters. Poor people are always on drugs, you know.

Eve8Apples

Or make them purchase a voter ID. Poor people have lots of spare money for voter IDs and vehicles to travel to election commissioner's office to purchase a voter ID and money for gasoline and car insurance so they can drive their vehicles to the election commissioner's office to buy a voter ID.

tessiee

You notice they always have enough money for cigarettes.

KeepFnThatChicken

…so once he's elected CEO of United States of America™, LLC, will he start selling off assets?

prommie

But of course, roads, water systems, parks, reservoirs. Our fat fuck governor has just proposed giving one of our State Universities to a private college.

Biff

No shit?

prommie

Rutgers Camden to Rowan.

James Michael Curley

The fat f*ck plans to merge the Rutgers University Camden Campus with Rowan University. Rowan, named after Howard Rowan who owns the induction melting technology which about 90% of the world uses now for metal and silicon processing, gave Rowan College, his Alma mater, 100 million dollars. Rowan (called Ryder at the time), formerly Glassboro State Teachers College built their Camden campus using money for several government doles. The bottom line, most likely, is that the trustees of Rowan are looking for a cheap, fast way to create a law school. Christie's office has not clarified that issue yet.

Merging Rutgers Camden into Rowan would also get rid of a few critics who can't be terminated by the fat f8ck's efforts to reshape (and try to eliminate) NJ's Department of Education.

Biff

Oh for fuck's sake.

James Michael Curley

This deal is still in the 'planning stage'; which for Christie means; "I'll demonize anyone who makes the slightest comment opposing it and I'll be heralded by the republicans for my 'frankness'." John Lewis handed him his lunch for that idiot comment that the civil rights movement would have welcomed the opportunity to put their demands on a referendum in the 1960's. Then, after touting that he isn't against gays because he named an openly gay judge, he calls an openly gay, democratic legislator "numnutts."

These safety nets you speak of… are those like the ones around the roofs of Chinese companies to stop people from killing themselves?

finallyhappy

What a bastard. That POS needs to come with me to the shelter I work at on Mondays or the people we feed on the street on Sunday evenings- yeah, that is a hell of safety net. Sleeping on the street at night- really just roughing it like MItt's family at their beach house.
He should rot in his Mormon hell -or any hell- I don't believe in Hell but then I hope it exists for someone like him.

Biff

Urban camping, sweet!

tessiee

"If I want to look at a poor person, rest assured that I will do so through a very powerful telescope." — Mr. Burns/Mitt Romney

MadBrahms

Safety net = baptizing the poor as mormons after they die of starvation

tessiee

In a related follow-up story, the RomneyBot 3000 [tm] was returned to the repair shop, where it was discovered that its sincerity simulator was no longer functioning properly.

OneYieldRegular

Safety net? Under Romney, the very poor will apparently make a very tasty substitute for canned tuna.

Chichikovovich

Though if you pay extra, you can buy tuna that says "dolphin and poor person safe" on the can.

tessiee

If tuna fish could read, I think they would look at the "dolphin safe" label on a can of tuna, and be all like, "WTF?? What kind of half-assed discrimination is THAT?"

Chichikovovich

Listen, don't feel sorry for those tuna. They would kill you if they had the chance.—

GOPCrusher

Just as long as it doesn't contain fetus.

CapnFatback

"We'd build better safety nets, of course, but we needed the material for our golden parachutes."

tessiee

"I’m not concerned about the very poor, we have a safety net there. I mean, good Lord, woman, you talk as though we had homeless people living on the streets!"

Naw, they'll baptize him alright, but he'll get a sucky planet. One that's 95% frozen ammonia with an atmosphere of sulphur dioxide.

Edit: Though now that I think of it, almost all planets are like that. Perhaps the Mormons should check the fine print.

vtxmcrider

As for Mittens, he is not human so he will be able to breathe on those poisonous planets just fine.

http://howtosavetheworld.ca/ BZ1

… and I'm not concerned about the very rich, they're doing just fine, no sh**t!

Gainsbourg69

Debbie Wasserman Schultz is the luckiest DNC chairman ever.

prommie

Excuse me, excuse me, help me up on this soapbox, please, I have something important to say.

These fucktards are something evil that is far worse than mere "greed." Mere greed, selfishness, self-interest, that is a natural thing, its in all of us, some try to keep it in check, some don't, but its there in everyone.

These modern conservative cultists, their sin is not greed, listen closely, examine closely the things they say and do which might have initially struck you as just "greedy." Its more than that, and as I said, an order of magnitude worse. Its not just that they want more, its that THEY WANT OTHERS TO HAVE LESS, TO HAVE NOTHING. Its not just selfish desire to have, they are filled with a hateful desire to take away what others have and leave them with nothing, they WANT TO SEE OTHERS MISERABLE. They want to be able to revel in having more,m being better. They love to see poverty. Why would a man as rich as Rush Limbaugh vacation in one of the poorest countries on earth? They feed on the misery of others, and its so so much darker, so much worse, than simple greed.

Steverino247

You've got it exactly. This is why you should never elect anyone who was ever a corporate raider to anything. They are all like this asshole.

George Wallace apologized and sought forgiveness. These guys can't do it.

GOPCrusher

I have often said the same thing since 1981 and the beginning of the Raygun Revolution and Crusade Against the Middle Class.
It pisses them off to no end that I can walk into a store and purchase the same type of products that they do.
I should have nothing and like it.

prommie

So true, when one of the poors dares ask for some self respect, their feeling, inside, is "who does he think he is?"

Nesnora

It's really too bad I'm an atheist… because what perfectly poetic humor for Satan than the fact these people also do this in the guise of following devoutly the moral foundations of their own deity, all in His name.

Nothingisamiss

Amen, Brother Prommie! Amen!

arihaya

Why would a man as rich as Rush Limbaugh vacation in one of the poorest countries on earth?

rent boys

http://www.southsidejohnny.com/ Jukesgrrl

That was pretty much the gist of Rush's rant of the day. He railed against Romney's comment about the poors, too. But what HE objected to was that Mitt didn't say the safety net should be eliminated.

tessiee

You guys are all a bunch of big meanies!
Why, I'll bet if you check into it, Mitt has even *rented* to poor people!

http://whatisawatthedevolution.blogspot.com imissopus

For a guy who has been running for president for five years, he sure sucks at it.

Tundra Grifter

imissopus:

Wth any luck at all, he's going to have another four years to practice.

This is great news. He and his ilk still do not get it. The approval ratings are low because the game is rigged. The problem is the very poor have essentially no chance to change their circumstances for the better. AND, the rest of us are inching downward, becoming poor and or very poor.

GOPCrusher

Yeah, but we choose to be poor.

MadBrahms

I'm not sure, since everyone thinks they're included in the "90%" that Romney and everyone else, including Obama, talks about as getting screwed. The nebulous "middle class" has been a productive trope for politicians for decades, because nobody wants to admit that they're poor. That category is reserved for "the negro".

Generation[redacted]

Upward mobility is not dead! All you have to do is come up with a great idea or invention, and the late night teevee informercial people will patent it for you. Then you just wait for the money to start rolling in. Late night teevee is an inventor's paradise.

owhatever

Fair enough, Mitt. I don't care about you either. But being a sensitive person, I plan to baptize you into the 1st Apocalyptic Cloven-Hoof Devil Worship House cult as soon as you die.

Will someone please, please, kick this guy in the gonads? I already hate most of the stupid Republicans that I have bumped into where I live but is there any way to beat the hell out of this guy? It's a shame that he will be getting protection from the Secret Service. He should be forced to spend his own money for security.

Neoyorquino

Swoosh! Nothin' but net.

Antispandex

Well? What do you want the guy to say? What have the poor done for the Mitts lately? Have they made a huge contribution to his campaiign? NO! Mitt would say "fuck 'em", but he has to much moral fiber for swear words!

DahBoner

"I’m not concerned about the very poor."

Good Lord! This is what happens when you don't keep up with the television shows.

Someone please tell me, how on earth did Thurston Howell the Third ever get off of that island???

Off-the-Mark (more and more, Off-His-Rocker) Levin is accusing Mittens of "class warfare." This isn't how conservatives are supposed to think. We're not supposed to be any more concerned about the poor than we are about the middle-class.

After all, the Founding Fathers didn't think this way.

This would certainly explain why back in them days everyone got to vote – not just propertied white men.

scarface99

the poor are not people my friends!!!!

Negropolis

Isn't it amazing in these days of not actually interviewing guest, but rather allowing them to spew their bullshit, that Soledad had the sense of mind so early in the morning to essentially say "hold the phone. Did you just say what I thought I heard?"

BTW, when he also said that he didn't care about the very rich, as well, he and I both agree and know why. They win either way. Heads, they win; tails…they win.

I want to know how many bodies are hidden in his many backyards, 'cause this guy is surely a serial killer. Look at that face. Listen to that hollow laugh, and look into those eyes devoid of a soul.

Tundra Grifter

Negropolis:

Although he doesn't have the three names most serial killers use, if you see him start to paint pictures of clowns get the Hell out of there!

Puffperney

Soledad is one of the better ones.. …some of the time anyway.

worrierqueen

If you split up the 99'ers into itty bitty bits you end up with a whole bunch of 1%ers just like Mitt.

DahBoner

Have you ever tried to borrow money from a poor person, my friends?

Tundra Grifter

DahBoner:

Every time I've been broken down by the side of the road, the guy who pulled over to give me a hand wasn't driving a Cadillac.

Tundra Grifter

"The poor will always be with us. Until I'm President."

– Mitt Romney

gizdal

what's new about this- didn't the GOP point man, Jesus, say that
the poor will always be with us!
and he (He?) was always right

Tundra Grifter

The GNoPee idea of a safety net for the poors is one woven from bob wire.

It will work – but it will hurt like hell, and anyone in it will probably just get the hell out of it, ready or not for the alternatives.

Puffperney

I wish Romney could come along on my "meals on wheels" route tomorrow. I'd put "There but for fortune" on the tape player (yes, its an old car) and see if he has any clue…